Last chance for honour

Chapter 44

Jamie awoke to the feeling of tapping on his chest, his eyes slowly opened. He caught his breath quickly in fright, seeing Arya stood above him, her sword the perpetrator of the tapping. She tensed her arm, strengthening her stance. He attempted to stand up from his half awake state. "Don't move" Arya said quickly, her face was neutral, her eyes piercing through him.

Jamie stayed where he was, looking at Arya stood above him next to his bed. "Why do you want to help us? Tell me the truth" Jamie sighed at the awakening. "Perhaps I could tell you if you weren't pointing that thing at me" he brought his hand up pushing the edge of the sword away slightly from his face.

Arya stood strong for a moment while she thought, before putting the sword back in its place on her waist. She took a few steps away from him. Jamie got up out of the bed, standing in his shirt and breeches. "I've already told your brother, I want your help, to save Sansa". He walked over to the basin, splashing his face with the cold water.

"Are you pretending to care about Sansa, so that'll we'll help you?". Jamie sighed while putting his face dry with the cloth. "Sansa's in danger-" Arya quickly interrupted "So? What concern is it of yours?" she blurted. "Sansa is my wife, that makes her my concern". Arya's brows creased in response. "She's Ramsey's wife now, why not just leave her?"

Jamie was beginning to become irritated "Ramsey forced Sansa to marry him, she was already married to me-" "wasn't your wedding a forced marriage as well? The legitimacy of your marriage to Sansa can be swept away if you wanted to, why are you trying to save her?" Arya was shouting now, she needed an answer, an honest answer. She remembered Brienne's words she knew they needed Jamie's army. She had to know that he was fighting against the Boltons for Sansa, not Winterfell.

"The Lannisters and Boltons plotted against my family and murdered my mother and brother, or have you forgotten that?!" The anger in Arya's tone returned. "It was my father who plotted against your family, I never allied myself with Roose Bolton"

I don't care, why should we trust you?!". Jamie raised his voice once more "How do you think Roose Bolton died? Do you really believe Ramsey poisoned him?" Arya thought for a moment, she had heard of how Roose had died at Joffrey's wedding.

"I killed Roose Bolton, I did it not because what he had done to your brother and mother, but what he had done to Sansa. She told me she wanted him dead so I killed him and I would kill anyone who hurt her. If I ever get my hands on Ramsey Bolton I will tear him apart piece by piece for what he has done to her".

Arya didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say. Jamie thought for a moment in the silence that surrounded the two of them. "You don't have to trust me, you just need to believe that I'm doing this for Sansa".

"Because I love her" the words came out of his mouth before he had even thought them. "I love her" he said again, his tone now softer. "I know you won't believe me, but I do. I can't turn away without knowing she's safe." Jamie lowered his eyes, away from Arya's stare.

"Once Ramsey is defeated, I will return to Casterly Rock, I'm not doing this to take Sansa back, she belongs with her family, I just want her safe". Arya looked at him for a moment, she felt unsure, she was suspicious of whether he was tricking her. Sansa had never spoken of him to her. She felt as though she could see a truth in his eyes, she couldn't believe she was thinking this, but she believed him, she hoped she wouldn't regret it.

"If what your saying is true, then we will join forces, the longer we wait the more danger Sansa is in". Jamie looked up at her in shock in her agreement.

Arya left the room, she took a deep breath, looking to the right of her. "We have to join forces with Jamie" the figure next to her came into the light, showing Jon's face. "Do you believe him?" The deep voice asked. "Yes... I do". He stood and thought for a moment, taking Arya's words into consideration. Jamie's words that he had overheard were going round and round in his head.

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Jamie heard a loud knock at the door. He hadn't even bothered trying to go back to sleep after Arya had left. He swung the door open to see Jon. There was a moment of silence between the two of them, before Jon broke it.

"We will join forces". Jamie stood in astonishment for a few seconds, before nodding. "We leave for Winterfell in the morning" Jon said before disappearing back into the dark corridor.

Jamie shut the door again. He thought of what was to come. With both his army and the Wildlings they outnumbered Ramsey, but there would still be a fight, he had never believed in the gods but he prayed that they defeated Ramsey.

If Ramsey won Jamie would lose everything, but most importantly his last chance for honour, Sansa.
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*Two weeks later*

Theon opened the door, holding a tray of food Ramsey had sent him to deliver. He looked into the room, seeing Sansa lying on her side, she was in the exact position as she was last time he had brought her food. He looked at the last tray he had left on the table for her, it was untouched.

"Lord Bolton has sent me to make sure you eat my Lady". Sansa hadn't seen Ramsey since losing the baby. Theon took a few steps closer still clinging onto the tray before him. He placed it down on the floor at the side of the bed. "Sansa please... you can't starve yourself" Theon was pleading with her.

Sansa didn't move, her eyes were still fixed on the floor, staring into nothing. She parted her lisps lightly before speaking "I don't want to eat". Her voice was dry.

"I don't want to move. I don't want to think. I don't want to feel. I don't want to breathe". Her voice was slow and dragged off her tongue.

Theon looked at Sansa's meek appearance, her once ivory skin, seemed a more dull grey. Her eyes which used to be a piercing sea blue, were now more like stagnant pools. Her knotted hair sprawled across the pillow resembled nothing of her once auburn locks. There was nothing left of the girl he had grown up with, the Stark he knew.

He finally gave up, closing the door behind him, leaving Sansa alone once more. Sansa waited for the noise of his footsteps to disappear. She sat up in the bed. Her stomach was aching for food, she looked at the plate of meat, she had barely eaten in weeks.

She told herself she couldn't eat, she needed to appear weak. They needed to think she was broken. But no one could break her, not even Ramsey Bolton. She was a Stark. Ramsey was going to pay for what he had taken from her.

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